| Parliamentary Assembly Assembl�e parlementaire |
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Appropriation and demolition of the forests by Armenia in the occupied lands of Azerbaijan
Doc. 10075
11 February 2004
Motion for a recommendation
presented by Mr R. Huseynov and others
This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only the members who have signed it
The forests constitute a complex of serious economic, political, environmental challenges. At present, the forests in Nagorno-Karabakh and the seven regions adjacent to it cover a large area. This sylva had been an economic asset to help the people, and Azerbaijan as a whole, live, as well as a natural filter for environmental serenity. The major part of the forests of the occupied lands was either subjected to destruction or became “hot spots”.
As radiation-nuclear wastes poisoned the forest area of 210 000 hectares in Karabakh the said area is no longer feasible. The occupied Lachin region has an area of 1 835 kilometres. Mr Grian Ohanyan, an Armenian millionaire from New Jersey, USA, where the arms production factor had been built, rented Lachin sylva’s 280 square kilometres for terms of fifteen years. The beautiful forests of Lachin’s villages – such as Kamilli, Bozlu, Guschu and Sadinlar – have vanished. These villages were destroyed, together with their forests.
In the occupied Gubadli region a national park of 20 000 hectares was burned out by the Armenian armed forces. The Kalbajar region was the purest, and rich in its woodlands. Being occupied in April 1993, the Kalbajar region was used for nuclear heads waste. In accordance with the opinion of the experts these lands could be feasible after twenty-five years. The 370 square kilometres of poisoned lands had been sylva.
As a result of the disposal of nuclear waste in the occupied lands, the radiation norms were significantly exceeded and forests destroyed and the so-called “nuclear tuberculosis” therefore emerged. In July 2000, the Ministry of Health Care of Armenia discussed combat measures to be undertaken in respect of this virus which was widely disseminated in the regions of Gorus, Gaphan, Mehri, Sisian and Vardenis. Similar viruses have been spreading quickly in Khankendi, Shusha and Khojavend. As a result of this discussion, the persons infected by tuberculosis, HIV and cancer have been buried in special graves in the occupied villages of the Agdam region.
In the region of Fizuli, special laboratories were opened to examine the corpses of those who died from tuberculosis. In the occupied Zangelan area a national park of 107 hectares was created in 1974. Nowadays, only two hectares of this park remain. All the plane trees in this park were hacked out and sold to Iranian furniture manufacturers.
Since the military aggression of Armenia, the NakhichevanAutonomousRepublic has been in a blockade and its population had to use the woods during the winter season.
Taking these facts into consideration, the Parliamentary Assembly considers it necessary to hold a discussion of these important political, economic and environmental problems and it believes that a rapporteur should be appointed in this matter.
The Parliamentary Assembly calls on Armenia to take the necessary measures to prevent further destruction of the forest area.
Signed
[1]:
Huseynov R., Azerbaijan, LDR
Ak�am, Turkey, EPP/CD
�avusoglu M., Turkey, EDG
Coifan, Romania, LDR
Duka-Z�lyomi, Slovakia, EPP/CD
G�nd�z S., Turkey, LDR
Hooper, United Kingdom, EDG
Huseynov A., Azerbaijan, EDG
Ilascu, Romania, NR
Kerimli, Azerbaijan, LDR
Meale, United Kingdom, SOC
Rakhansky, Ukraine, UEL
Reimann, Switzerland, LDR
Rigoni, Italy, EPP/CD
Seyidov, Azerbaijan, EDG
Tepshi, Albania, EPP/CD
Torbar, Croatia, EPP/CD
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SOC |
Socialist Group |